GUSTINE – Students returned to the classroom Monday to start a new year in the Gustine Unified School District, where administrators reported a smooth first day back from summer vacation.

Several changes greeted students returning to start the year, from the addition of a band room at Gustine Middle School to an expanded food service program districtwide.

Administrators will be keeping a close watch on enrollment through the early portion of the school year.

Superintendent Gail McWilliams said the district should have a fairly clear idea of where its enrollment will stand by the end of the week.

Attendance usually picks up through the early days of the new school year as students filter back into the classroom, she said, adding that “by Friday we should be pretty stable.”

Gustine Middle School opened with two new portables, an oversized room to house the band program and a regular classroom.

Those facilities were welcome additions, according to Principal Rita Azevedo.

Last year, the band had met in the cafeteria and a class was housed in the library, she noted.

Every classroom on campus is in use, the GMS principal added.

One of the most noticeable changes for students was in the cafeteria, where those eating school lunches enjoyed a variety of entree selections under the district’s new food service program. The district is working with food services consulting firm Sodexho this year.

“We had three entrees to choose from, plus the salad bar and as many veggies as they wanted,” Rita Azevedo said. “The kids loved it. There wasn’t any broccoli left at the end of the lunch. It was really neat to see that they are going for the healthy foods.”

Romero Principal Karen Azevedo echoed that sentiment.

“It was wonderful,” she said. “There were three selections, and the staff did a great job. The line went smoother than ever before.”

That was the general theme of the first day, Karen Azevedo reflected.

“It was a great day. Parents were upbeat, there was a lot of energy and no glitches,” she commented.

“I was watching the Romero students make their lunch selections,” McWilliams added. “They were enjoying it.”

As with last year, GMS is a transportation-only school. Students must ride the bus or be driven to and from school because of the lack of sidewalks to the campus.

McWilliams and other school personnel were out early to make sure no students tried to walk or bike to the campus; none did.

A Hawaiian theme greeted students at Gustine Elementary, courtesy of the school’s parent-teacher club, where Principal Donna Ross characterized opening day as “great.”

Principal Dennis Shaw said Gustine High’s opening day also went well overall, although “more students than we would have liked” waited until Monday to pick up their class schedules.

Overall, Superintendent McWilliams summarized, “It was a good first day."